Shifting Perspectives, 2024

Maryam Tariq’s Shifting Perspectives (2024) is a digital artwork about shattering biases and approaching people and situations with an empathetic lens. Inspired by the concept of perceptual ambiguity, the newly commissioned work illustrates how distance can offer fresh perspectives on an issue that seems unclear at first.

The installation comprises large pixel screens with abstract images that appear blurry as though being viewed from up close.

Using a 20th century printing technique called halftones, Tariq composes the pixelated pictures with dots of varying shades and patterns. As visitors walk around or step back, the images on the screens become clear, evoking a eureka moment.

Shifting Perspectives encourages us to physically and metaphorically step back in life to see the bigger picture, inspiring the viewer to perceive people from different angles so that we can better understand each other in an increasingly isolated world.